


Likka's Master

by FoiblePNoteworthy



Series: The Non-Existent Twin [7]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Gen, nods to zukka that im not doing anythign with, references to grief, set during sokkas master, this one might not actually be crack, zuko pretends to be his own twin and it works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29188272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoiblePNoteworthy/pseuds/FoiblePNoteworthy
Summary: (Sokka had once tried to imagine what he would do if Katara switched sides, if she harmed him or dad or their friends. The image wouldn’t stick long enough for him to conjure any emotion.He thought of Toph betraying him, or Aang. It skidded away.He held onto the image of Li just long enough to feel the wrench of anguish, the beginning of some strange wet anger, before the face in his mind softened back onto the one he knew so well.He didn’t understand how Li could forgive so easily, and he probably never would.)***Zuko convinces the gaang he's his own twin brother part 7 - plots and reunions abound.
Relationships: (mentioned but azula isnt there), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: The Non-Existent Twin [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1573438
Comments: 48
Kudos: 361





	Likka's Master

The war could be going a lot worse. Really. It was going to end soon.

Team Avatar had both the Water Tribes, The Earth Kingdom army and, oh yeah, the friggin’ _Avatar_ on their side. Sokka had a plan, and it was a really good plan – a _great_ plan, even – to launch attacks across the Fire Nation to distract and spread out their troops, before striking a killing blow on the weakened Caldera on the day of the Black Sun.

They didn’t have long to wait. The attacks had already started, and they’d been able to see the troops moving away from vital areas to push off the hordes of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe troops that attempted to take their factories and temples and farming villages, cutting off the supply lines. Rumour had it the Kyoshi Warriors had slipped capture while travelling through the Fire Nation, and would surely join up with their forces any day now.

It was less than a month until the Day of the Black Sun.

Sure, things weren’t perfect. For one thing, Zuko and Ozaila (or was she really ‘Azula’? Toph had refused to explain that away like she had with Kuzon and Bobbatha, citing Li’s attachment to the prank and, _honestly_ , Sokka could understand that) may or may not still have control of the Dai Li, who may or may not have infiltrated the Earth Kingdom Army, which could backfire very badly if they found out anything too delicate.

That, of course, was assuming that Zuko and Azulozaila hadn’t already extracted their plan from a source closer to home.

It was exactly twenty-seven days and nine hours until the eclipse.

Sokka breathed deeply and checked his schedule and his maps and his supplies and made sure they were always moving, always acting. There was nothing else he could do.

_(There was nothing ~~else~~ he could do. _

_~~Again.~~ )_

Either they had _this one chance_ or they were always going to lose, and it all hinged on the surprise. The surprise which may or may not hold firm.

The war could be going worse, all in all. It was going to end soon - he had less than a month to wait until the Day of the Black Sun.

Either Li could wait until then, or he was already dead.

***

Sokka didn’t want a ~~new~~ sword master. It cut something inside of him that he needed one.

Piandao’s home was lavish, with a beautiful garden and high ceilings; the wooden beams were a muted red, welcomely tasteful. The man’s face was stern, but the lines around his eyes suggested laughter, not frowns.

(Dad had looked like that before he went away, Sokka was sure. His wrinkles had grown and changed shape to something hard and alien, even at rest, throughout his time away.)

He bowed to Piandao and begged his aid and pretended he wanted to learn from him. Nausea caught in his throat at the sight of the man’s lone sword, as if it would not have been more offensive for him to wield two.

“Sokka,” Piandao, gestured with a hand for him to rise. His head tilted in scrutiny. “There is something…” he paused in thought. Then: “I would be more than happy to accept you as my student, at least on a trial basis, but as much as you wish to learn from me, I sense… some hesitation from you. What troubles you?”

Sokka hoped he would forgive him for not looking him in the eye. “My former… My _true_ Master was captured in the war,” he admitted. “I want to learn so that I might honour him, help rescue him even, but…”

“It pains you. To learn from another.”

“It’s what he would want for me.”

“It’s what I _do_ want for you.”

 _That voice_. It made his heart sing and his blood boil in a dizzying combination.

Sokka snapped upright, jaw clenched and boomerang in hand immediately, backing away from Piandao to keep both figures in the room in his sightline.

 ~~L-~~ Zuko stood in the doorway, surprise printed across his stance. His eyes were bright, expression soft and open; his hair fell across his forehead and curled around his ears. His feet were bare under the hem of his slightly-too-long robes.

His scar was on the left.

 _His scar was on the-_ No. Katara had said that they were the same. Another strange prank from Li trying to keep Zuko alive in his heart, never mind that Zuko wouldn’t – _doesn’t_ – do the same in real life.

 _“Why does Li love you?”_ he felt tempted to ask the smiling spectre. _“Why has he forgiven you? Has he forgiven you again?”_

(Sokka had once tried to imagine what he would do if Katara switched sides, if she harmed him or dad or their friends. The image wouldn’t stick long enough for him to conjure any emotion.

He thought of Toph betraying him, or Aang. It skidded away.

He held onto the image of Li just long enough to feel the wrench of anguish, the beginning of some strange wet anger, before the face in his mind softened back onto the one he knew so well.

He didn’t understand how Li could forgive so easily, and he probably never would.)

“Sokka.” Zuko held out his hands to show they were empty, as if he couldn’t conjure flames with a twitch of his fingers, as if he didn’t have-

Sokka’s breath caught, eyes fixed on the sword sheath slung over Zuko’s shoulder.

“Those swords,” he hissed. (His chest fucking _hurt_.) “They don’t belong to you.”

His robe was a muddy brown, eyebrow curled in with his look of concern. His sleeves pushed up his arms as he held out his hands to Sokka, the delicate skin of his inner wrists on display. His voice sounded just like Li’s as he lied, “It’s me, Sokka - it’s Li. I’m okay. Everything’s okay.”

And if that was really Li, then mom and Yue were going to crash through the window in the back of a huge sea serpent any second now, because he knew this dream better than he would have liked. It had never been this vivid before, but now it was sharp as broken glass in his stomach.

He pinched himself, just to remind him that this was _Zuko_.

“Don’t you _dare_.” He grit his teeth as if it could hide how his voice shook. The glass pierced the building bubble in his chest, grief turning hot and hard in an instant. “ _Don’t you dare!”_

Zuko dodged his boomerang with practised ease, ducking under it on the return and drawing Li’s swords in one smooth practised movement, crossing them above his head just in time to protect his skull from Sokka’s club. Sokka pulled back and swung again – he just needed to get one hit in and Zuko knew nothing about swords, Li had _said_ – but Zuko blocked him again, dancing back and out of range before slipping past him into the room. He used Li’s swords’ longer reach against him, backing up further to gather space to move in.

He blocked and dodged and bobbed and weaved and Sokka couldn’t land a hit on him and _Zuko had been staying with a sword-fighting master for a reason_. Zuko didn’t bother bringing out his flames, not when he’d been training with Li’s swords just to hurt him, not when he was now an expert swordsman. He didn’t even bother to return the hits.

Sokka’s movements turned reckless quickly – he was tired, he was hungry, he’d been emotionally exhausted even _before_ this imposter forced himself into his eyeline. He let a hit go wide, a slip of the hand forcing the meat of his right forearm towards Zuko’s defensive left sword. Zuko leapt back, dropping his sword just in time to avoid dealing Sokka a deep and bloody wound.

Zuko hadn’t returned any of his hits and he made no effort to retrieve Li’s fallen sword.

Sokka backed up a step, lowering his club in a silent request to pause, and Li instantly lowered his other sword, grip slack in a silent desire to drop it, something hopeful curling the corners of his lips.

Sokka’s mouth tasted of ash and iron.

“Prove it.” He didn’t stutter. “Prove it. Please.”

Now backlit by the windows, almost a silhouette in the dark room, Li dropped his swords.

“The first time we met,” he said, “You thought I was a real spirit and refused to touch me in case I dragged you to the spirit world. You almost fell off a building because you wouldn’t take my hand.” His eyebrow quirked with his lopsided smile; Sokka marvelled at the charming asymmetry. 

“The first time we met properly you accused me of being Zuko and then told me he died. It was the first time I’d hugged Azula since I was seven and she sparked for the first time.” He frowned at the downer, then shook his head and continued with a smirk: “I managed to get Jet to have a crush on me at least three separate times.”

Sokka let his club clatter to the ground, too loud in the silence.

Hand on his chin, Li continued, beginning to flush prettily, “Maybe four times actually. Li, then Blue, Li again, and Kuzon.”

Sokka snorted and Li lit up in a way Zuko could never imitate, his soft joy turning Sokka’s legs to jelly. His breath failed him as let himself believe in what he was seeing. “It’s _you_. You’re okay.”

His hands grasped at Li’s front before he knew what he was doing, pulling him in for a hug, chin resting on his shoulder. His heart rate slowed, tension leaving his shoulders for the first time in two months.

Li’s heart thumped in his chest; his breath tickled Sokka’s ear. His hands were warm where they clutched his back.

“You’re okay.”

***

Sokka was warm and comfortable in his arms. Zuko and Azula had been getting along much better, but she barely tolerated his hugs, and hadn’t returned one since that day in the desert when he first let himself hope they had a chance at being siblings again.

He still wasn’t sure he hadn’t gone insane at some point - _Azula always lies_ – but he couldn’t afford not to trust her, to work with her. She never would have let Ba Sing Se go free without something else of value in exchange, and all he could offer was his services and a plan.

They were planning an Agni-damned _coup_. It was the best option, he _knew_ it was, and he’d known for a while that he would have to go against father. He hadn’t accepted it, but he’d known. It was the only way his friends could live; the only way he could ever look them in the eye without guilt sitting like sand in his lungs.

He had switched sides. He was a traitor.

…In theory, anyway.

Father still believed him to be his loyal son, out on a dangerous mission to track down the mystery twin his mother had secreted away after his birth (it was worrying, how easily people believed him, even with Azula’s help), to restore his honour after his brother had ruined his reputation with his treacherous deeds. It was surely a mission that could be given to no other, for there was no one better to see through Li’s lies than Zuko.

(There was a good chance father had simply wanted him out of the palace and his sightline. It worked out for him, either way.)

Azula was still in the Caldera, sitting in on war meetings (that fact did _not_ sting), gathering information to pass on to her Dai Li agents, and to the entrepreneurial noblemen and women and the traditionalist Sages and the tired Generals she had turned to their side. Her network of spies ran further through the Kingdom than he ever would have guessed, though he shouldn’t have been surprised.

(He was overwhelmingly glad he had managed to sway her to his side.)

Zuko knew, in the back of his mind, that if he told Azula that he’d changed his mind, that he planned to use their combined connections to take over all of the Earth Kingdom, to end the war once and for all in a _very different way_ then she would probably back him. She didn’t care about the politics either way – she just wanted her brother at her side as she took the power and safety of the throne.

(She wanted to know that her face would retain its symmetry; that she would never be forced from her home with nothing but what Uncle chose to give her and an impossible quest. She wanted to know that she had someone with her who would never betray her.)

Zuko wasn’t going to continue the war. He _had_ switched sides; he _was_ a traitor.

 _Technically,_ he had only committed conspiracy to treason so far. All the pieces were in place if he changed his mind, if he chose to take over the world instead.

(The word ‘treason’ started to lose its meaning when there were so many ways he could commit it, especially when it was in the nation’s best interests to remove and replace the ruler.)

“Prince Li,” Master Piandao said in a properly deferential tone, as if he weren’t smirking at him over Sokka’s shoulder. “Perhaps it would be best if the two of you were to retire somewhere more comfortable?”

Sokka pulled back suddenly in his arms, blinking. He didn’t let go of Zuko’s shoulders. “No one knows you’re alive!” he exclaimed, shovelling more guilty sand into Zuko’s lungs. It had been so long since he’d seen any of them, with only rumours to sate the ache in his chest. “We need to go see everyone! Right now!”

 _Go see Toph,_ Zuko translated internally. This would be tricky to navigate. He tried to wriggle out of Sokka’s grip, only to find him holding his hand. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I can’t risk being seen, there are people looking for me.”

Sokka winced in sympathy, surely thinking of Li’s awful experience in prison. Time to correct that belief.

“I’m okay,” he started, because it was important that Sokka knew that. “I’m fine. I was never hurt. My return to the Fire Nation was… complicated.”

Master Piandao, likely seeing that they didn’t intend to move any time soon, left the room to give them their privacy.

Sokka leaned against the wall, let himself slide down to the floor. Zuko followed easily, not just because of the hand Sokka still held firmly.

“I…” Zuko clenched his teeth. This was going to hurt. “I was never actually captured.”

Sokka frowned. “But Katara and Aang saw – Zuko said you-”

“Zuko’s dead. He has been since the North Pole.”

Sokka froze, his grip on Zuko’s hand loose. Zuko didn’t dare tighten his grip, draw attention to it himself, so he let his promises tumble out instead.

“I made a deal with Azula.” Sokka flinched. “I pretended to be Zuko, I went back to the Fire Nation with her to plot our coup and in exchange she didn’t take Ba Sing Se, the Dai Li haven’t infiltrated your armies, and she kept quiet about the plans she learned from the Earth King.”

_“The Earth King-”_

“He told her about the Day of the Black Sun when she was pretending to be a Kyoshi Warrior.”

Sokka let out a sigh, slow and almost rattling, like it hurt him. “So she knows.” His voice was empty. “She’s known this whole time.”

Zuko dared to squeeze his hand. “Yeah, she does. But the Firelord doesn’t. He _won’t._ She’s on our side now.”

Sokka gave him a searching look. “You’ll have to forgive me for doubting that. You’re more forgiving than I could ever afford to be. Even if she hasn’t betrayed you, I doubt the terms of her deal are any good. There’s more there that she hasn’t warned you about.”

Zuko raised his eyebrow. “I appreciate your trust in me-”

“You _know_ that’s not what I’m saying.”

“I know, Sokka, it’s okay. Just…” Zuko raised one placating hand, half-smiling. “I know what I’m doing. And I know my sister. When the war is over and the Firelord is dead, she and I will share the throne. That is all she wants, and that is what she shall have.”

Sokka shook his head as he processed everything.

Zuko gave him a minute to mull it over, taking the time for himself to track the lies and make sure everything was where it should be.

Sokka looked up, slipping his hand out of Zuko’s. “The Zuko thing,” he said, “Pretending to be captured, and everything with Bobbatha… Your sister hit Aang with _lightning_ , Li, she could have killed him. You didn’t need to do that. We were worried about you.”

He didn’t ask any questions; kept his tone flat. His eyes were pinched with real pain.

Zuko swallowed, mentally apologising to a sister who _‘couldn’t care less what your friends think of me, Zuzu’_. “Azula wanted to keep her options open. Me pretending to be Zuko, the opportunity to act as a Fire soldier without alienating myself – Li – from all of you; she was certain is was the best way to do things. She didn’t know what her plans were, how we were going to pull off the coup, or-” he choked down something heavy in his gut, “Or if she was even going to go through with it. She wouldn’t have turned me in but-”

“You gambled,” Sokka accused, more correct than Zuko was comfortable with. “What if she’d changed her mind?”

*** 

Li’s eyes were bright and trusting as he spoke about the girl who almost killed Aang, who he’d thought for so long may have killed Li.

“I would have left and returned to you guys,” Li said, as though he were guaranteed that as an option when living in the Caldera. “It was always my plan to come back, to fight by your sides, but I had the chance to protect your plans, to drum up an army in the Fire Nation, and the only way to do that was to work with Azula.”

Li may have been right about that. If his plan really had worked, if he got friggin’ Azula on their side, if she could get the Fire Military to stand down and allow a peaceful handover of power then they could save so many lives. The conflict could truly end after that last battle, a battle which was, if Azula was really with them, all but won already.

All of that hinged on Azula.

Sokka frowned at Li. “You work _for_ Azula, you mean.”

“It’s been working so far,” Li shrugged.

“And if you’d been wrong she would have killed you.”

Li shook his head. “I don’t think she would. She’s my baby sister.”

“And Zuko was your brother-”

“And he never harmed me.”

Sokka stopped. Li would know, but Li was likely to have a different definition of appropriate sibling behaviour.

“Look,” Li started, tone hard enough that he didn’t sound like him, “You don’t have to trust Azula, and your don’t have to like Azula, but I would _appreciate_ it if you would trust me to know what I’m doing. It’s not as bad as it all sounds – most of well, _everything_ that happened that day was just Azula testing me.”

Or Azula isolating him from his support network. And even so-

“By shooting your friend full of lightning.”

“A weakened bolt. Katara can heal,” Li’s smile barely faltered. “And now father thinks Aang’s dead and he can travel the Fire Nation with impunity.”

Li took a hold of Sokka’s shoulder, looked him in the eyes. Their faces were distractingly close. “The Firelord thinks he’s already won the war, and half the world is gearing up to strike when he’s at his most vulnerable.”

It hit Sokka like a gut punch, then. A really nice gut punch, one from Suki or Li. If-

“You really trust your sister?”

“With my life. Probably with yours, too.”

Which was really the best he could hope for with Azula, wasn’t it?

They’d already been all in on the plan, hadn’t they? When Li looked at him like that, just begging for his trust, what was one more gamble?

“The plan is going to work, isn’t it?”

Li ran his hand down his arm to retake his hand, squeezing it gently. “Everything’s in place, I promise.”

“We’ve done it.”

Li smiled. “We’ve done it.”

Sokka leapt to his feet, leaving Li sat against the wall they’d huddled up against together. His tailbone complained loudly. “We’ve done it!”

Li grinned, levering himself upright in an unfairly smooth ninja move. “One more battle and the war is over.”

Sokka’s hands shook. “I-I’ll be right back. I need to go tell everyone – I’ll bring them here, if you can’t go outside, though you’ll have to eventually you know, you’re coming with us when we leave, probably tomorrow since I’ll have my sword Master on the move with me.” Sokka knew he was babbling but he couldn’t help himself. He hadn’t been this hopeful since – since maybe never.

They were going to win this war.

Li smiled at Sokka’s happiness, taking his hand to lead him out. “I’ll talk to Master Piandao and make arrangements for everyone tonight. Could you explain everything on your way up?” he winced, “I don’t want to be in the same room as Katara when she finds out about everything.”

“Sure thing. I’ll make sure she understands about your sister and everything.”

And, _oh,_ how his eyes lit up. “You believe me?”

“You trust her. I trust you.” Sokka shrugged. “I know you’d never lie to me about anything like this.”

Sokka couldn’t be sure in the shadows of the hallway, not with the sunlit windows on the other side of the building, but he was sure he saw Li turn his face away in his lovely embarrassment, unable to meet his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> kudos comment subscribe to the main series come find me on [tumblr](https://foiblepnoteworthy.tumblr.com/)  
> check out my [Jet-adopts-Zuko au](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1557868), my [Platonic soulmate au](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23725510/chapters/56973808) or any of my [Other fics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoiblePNoteworthy/pseuds/FoiblePNoteworthy/works)
> 
> sup regulars i love you welcome back
> 
> i do really hope yall liked this one im sorry it wasn't as funny but like where could i have put that. here comes the plot (do do do doo) which means its harder to make it funny. 
> 
> bruh i had to write the word 'mom' like a gdm American the word is 'mum' im sorry but im right 
> 
> also yeah we're in the home stretch here arent we? only two instalments left i think.
> 
> ps - i know I've been hinting at zukka but that's just for a bit of fun. I do not intend t have them be in a relationship within this series bc of the whole, yanno, lying thing. I could take that and turn it into an interesting arc but i cba doing that so instead im just leaving it as a lil joke.


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